A Fulfilled Promise
by TooPiAr
Summary: They say that one remembers a date when it means something special to him. This particular date changed his life forever. Written for the 2010 CreddieFans' Croctober Challenge.


**A/N: Hello and welcome. This little one-shot is a story situated within the plot of my own independent work of fiction, **_**The Rise of the Orient Pearl. (Available in all leading bookstores…never.)**_

**Also, this is my entry for the 2010 CreddieFans Croctober Challenge.**

**Disclaimer: iCarly and all other intellectual property don't belong to me. iCarly is owned by Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon Studios. All Rights Reserved.**

The date was December 21, 2012. Snow was falling lightly upon Seattle. A thin, white blanket of frozen water coated the pavement. The temperature was a little under zero degrees. The populace didn't pay attention to it. Everyone was busy rushing to the mall hoping to get a last-minute Christmas present for his or her loved ones. That was the case for a young boy named Freddie Benson. He had been at the mall for hours hoping to get the perfect gift for the love of his life, Carly Shay. Store after store, shop after shop, and crazy crowd after crazy crowd. This was the familiar scene during the last few days before Christmas. He didn't mind it, though. He only had one thing in mind: Get Carly the perfect Christmas gift. He had a plan that was sure to make it all perfect. Freddie Benson had been trying for so many years to get the beautiful Carly Shay to fall in love with him. Christmas after Christmas, he had attempted to execute this plan of his. All of them ended in vain. This time, he was self-assured. He felt as though this was the perfect time to execute all of it. He could feel the young lady becoming closer to him. Not to jump to conclusions, but he thinks that she may already be reciprocating his affection.

After much time battling with crazy crowds, he had found her the perfect gift: A silver heart-shaped locket with which one could insert two pictures. Replaying the plan in his mind, he grinned like an idiot. He didn't care if anybody watched. As long as he was happy in the end, it was fine.

He had barely reached the doorknob to his apartment when a pair of hands had been placed above his eyes. He could guess that sweet, familiar scent every time.

"Guess who." A female voice said.

"Uhm…Tyra Banks?" He joked in return.

"Nope. Try again."

"Come on, Carly. I always win this game."

The young lass relaxed her grip. Freddie turned around to face her.

"So. Whatcha got there?" She asked, referring to the small package in his hand.

'_Damn it.' _He thought to himself. _'Make something up. Make something up!' _

"It's nothing. Just something for my mom." He replied.

"Alright then." She said, "Anyways, are you coming to the party later?"

"Party?" he asked in confusion.

"Shoot! I forgot to tell you." She replied in frustration. "You see, my dad's here and wants to take us to Hawaii to spend Christmas there. So we're having an impromptu Christmas party right now."

She had left him dumbfounded. His plan was going to be in vain again! He couldn't let this happen. He had to think quickly.

"So, what time is it starting?" he asked.

"8:30 tonight."

He looked at his watch. It was only 2:30. He had more than enough time.

"So, uhm. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out. You know, just the two of us." She asked.

Her second statement left him surprised. She wanted to hang out with him?

"YES!" he cried. "I mean, uhm… of course. That would be nice." He replied.

Carly only smiled at him. She found his antics quite cute. What Freddie did not know was that she too had been hatching a plan to profess her love for him. She wanted to do it before she left. She had planned every step carefully. She had even been waiting for him through her peephole.

Off they went. Each wanting to execute one's own plans on that day. They had decided to go to the Christmas fair that would be in town for the remainder of the year.

Their day went incredibly well. They started with the roller coaster. He had to admit that she looked cute even when she was screaming. Next, they went through the haunted house. She would never forget that manifestation of sheer cukiness when he had nearly cried out of fright. They had been taking turns picking out the rides. He ended up picking all the calm and peaceful rides. She, on the other hand, picked rides that made your heart pump twice as fast.

Thinking that he might suffer from a heart attack if she picked another adrenaline-rushing ride, she decided to take a leaf out of his book. She had pointed to a ride that Freddie had always wanted to go on, but couldn't summon the courage to go after.

"Let's go there!" she said. Pointing to another fair attraction.

"The Tunnel of Love? Are you serious?" he asked.

"Yip!"

If only she knew that his heart would burst out of his chest from sheer excitement.

After getting onto a swan-shaped boat, the ride operator smiled on how cute they looked. He decided to make the ride go extra-slow by controlling the flow of water. He had this strange feeling that he would help make them happy.

Once inside the cave, the young teenagers couldn't help but feel at home. They were in a secluded, private place surrounded by romantic images and depictions.

During some point of the ride, Carly had rested her head on his chest. She could feel his heartbeat. The way it thumped was music to her ears. Her heartbeat was mimicking his.

_Do you feel my heart beating?_

_Do you understand?_

_Do you feel the same?_

He decided that it was time. They were nearly approaching the exit. It was now or never.

"Carly?" He called out in a calm voice. Trying his best not to let nervousness get the better of him.

"Hmm?" She replied.

"Listen," he began," there's something I need to tell you. Something I need to ask you."

"What is it?" she asked. She could already foresee it. She tried her best to keep calm. She needed to pretend that she did not know anything.

"Well. I just… I… I was wondering if maybe – just maybe- if you uhm. –" He began. He was cut off.

"What is it, Freddie?" she asked. Concerned that something was wrong. She also noticed the thing Freddie was staring at. At the end of the ride, there was glittering red smoke. It was similar to the ones used in military signals.

The ride had stopped abruptly. The water began draining.

"Everybody get out of there!" the ride operator screamed through the speakers. Before anybody could move, however, a glowing orb of red light appeared on the spot were the smoke was. Seconds later, an explosion shook the whole tunnel.

Instinctively, Freddie wrapped her arms around Carly. He could feel some of the debris hitting his back but he didn't care. As long as Carly was safe, he was all right.

Taking Carly by the hand, they ran out the opposite end of the tunnel. Once out, the whole tunnel was reduced to rubble by another explosion.

They looked out into the distance and saw the cause of all the havoc.

They saw giant mecha-like structures destroying the stands. On their chests were insignias. Two equal horizontal bands of blue and red; a white equilateral triangle is based on the hoist side; the center of the triangle displays a yellow sun with eight primary rays; each corner of the triangle contains a small, yellow, five-pointed star.

A forceful tugging of his arm brought him back to reality.

"Freddie! What the hell are you looking at? We have to get out of here!" she cried.

After being jolted back to reality, he ran with the love of his life. He can think of it like that.

_Run, Barbie, run_

_Barbie run_

_Run, Barbie run. Run, Barbie._

But in reality, they were running for their lives.

"Dad!" Carly called out all of a sudden. There stood Colonel Shay dressed in his combat uniform with a battalion of soldiers at his command.

The youthful colonel gave his daughter a quick, but nevertheless tight, hug.

"You have to get out of here now." He instructed, "I've arranged for a plane to take you and your friends to Hawaii. It's one of the few places that the Empire hasn't taken control of yet.

"What empire?" Freddie asked quizzically.

"The Philippine Empire." Colonel Shay replied. "Turns out they had this secret base in Antarctica. They've already conquered much of Asia secretly. They cut-off communications there to make us think that nothing's happening."

_The tide of war is upon us._

_They march the battlefields of Novus._

_On their heels, a bloody trail thus follows._

_Behold, Empire Accretia._

"That's beside the point." he continued, "What's important is for you kids to get out of here."

"Alright." Carly said, "Let's go, Freddie."

Colonel Shay raised his arm in front of Freddie.

"There's another catch." He explained, "Law requires that all men of legal age serve in the army in times of war. To be honest, we need all the manpower we could get our hands on."

Those words brought tears to each other's eyes. Not only were they going to be separated. They might not see each other again.

"I understand, sir." Freddie replied with a salute. "But can I at least talk to Carly just one more time?"

"Of course. Make it all count." He said

"Carly," he began, "I was planning to give this to you. I didn't expect all of this to happen."

He handed her the carefully wrapped box. In his opinion, it was the only thing she could remember him by.

Without even opening the box to view the content, she crashed her lips into Freddie's. She was savoring his taste for, in her opinion, the last time.

It had only lasted for 12 seconds but it seemed like eternity for each one of them.

The young colonel smiled at her daughter's antics. It was the exact same thing his wife had done. He could really see his wife in his only daughter.

She had broken the kiss and gave Freddie her final wish.

"Live through this, okay? Promise me we'll see each other again." She asked of him. "Please? For me?"

"You have my word, Carly." He replied. She had run off with the evacuation team that Colonel Shay had set up.

"Alright, Private Benson." The colonel remarked, "Let's get this over with."

* * *

_(15 years later…)_

An older Freddie Benson was sitting in his study. He had finished writing his tale and his experiences during the war. Surrounding him were plaques of recognition and medals of Honor. He was known throughout the United States Armed Forces as the man who stopped the fall of the United States. One of his plaques read:

_General Fredward Benson,_

"_The man who stopped the Philippine Forces from assaulting Hawaii."_

_Under his leadership, the U.S. Military decisively defeated the Philippine Forces during the Battle of Oahu._

_A gentleman._

_A hero._

_A true American._

A knock on the door temporarily diverted his attention.

"Come in" he said.

His wife entered the room and wrapped her arms around him.

"So, what does the 'Hero of Hawaii' want to have for dinner?" she asks.

"Anything. As long as it's your cooking." He replies. "Hey, you're wearing the locket."

"Well of course!" she replies back "This locket was given to me by my hero just before he went to war."

Freddie's stomach grumbles, his hunger just waiting to be satisfied.

"Come on, Carly," he says, "let's have some dinner."

After giving him a quick peck on the lips, the married couple exits the room to have their supper.

Freddie smiles as he remembers everything that has happened in his life.

They say that one remembers dates that are special to him. On that particular date, he made a promise to see her again. He promised that he would live through the conflict. He's satisfied that he was able to keep his word.

The date was December 21, 2012. It changed his life forever.

* * *

**Musical References (in order of appearance)**

**Eternal Flame – The Bangles**

**Run Barbie Run – The Eraserheads**

**Empire Accretia – Razorback **

**A/N: All right! I hope you enjoyed this little one-shot of mine. Please keep your comments constructive.**

**This story was NOT meant to offend, disrespect or challenge the sovereignty of certain countries.**

**I hope you enjoyed. Take care, and God Bless.**


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